Live and Let Die
by CaptainPrice
Summary: Becoming a Huntsman is what brings children from a state of adolescense into adulthood. For two individuals, it will define them for the rest of their lives. People change, and they will learn that sometimes you have to fight. Sometimes you have to watch. And sometimes, you have to let go.
1. Chapter 1

**Just testing the waters with this. If people like it, then it'll be continued. If not, then it will be a nice and easy crash and burn. This story was generated after reading ImSoAwesome's story Between the Lines. It will focus on an original concept and have canon events in RWBY moved around for story sake and what not. The Faunus Rights Revolution will be a key focus in this story and it will be one of the things that was changed to make this work. Now, let's get to it.**

 _Italic: Thoughts/Letters/Journal Entries/Flashbacks/_

* * *

Blazing flames consumed everything in their path, the mere heat enough to burn anything near them. The smoke that billowed was that of a thick black fog that swallowed the entirety of the village and blocked the blooming moonlight that shimmered over the remains of the town. Frantic screams filled the air and could be heard from all corners of Menagerie. The despair radiated off of everyone who pushed and shoved each other out of the way in a desperate attempt to reach the docks.

Amidst the turmoil, a woman ran with her daughter in her arms. Her amber eyes stung as the smoke entered them and salty tears began to leak. Her lungs burned and itched from the lack of air, but she kept moving. This was just a trial of mental strength that she was more than capable of passing, just like her daughter who was strong like her.

She stopped and hunched over for air and took a moment to bounce her daughter to get a better grip.

"Mom, what's going on?" She asked.

The woman coughed and shook her head. She offered her daughter a small smile and ran her fingers through her long hair.

"I don't know, honey. I don't know," the woman said.

She felt her daughter's hands grab fistfuls of her shirt. The small teddy bear clutched between her arms was being squeezed as if life itself depended on it.

The woman continued running again. They were almost to the docks and time was running out to get aboard and be transported to Vacuo. Her daughter was too young to understand the nature of what was going on and what would come in its wake.

Although humans and Faunus ended their war just a few years before, the racial tension still burned strong between both groups. As a result, a Faunus group was created to serve as a liaison between their people and the humans in hopes to create a stronger and more trustworthy relationship between them. The White Fang was headed by a lion Faunus named Leo King.

Leo was seen as an idealist who wanted nothing but peace and equality between both races. Having fought in the Human and Faunus war, he had seen the carnage the discrimination from both sides. He had a voice and he made sure it was heard all throughout Menagerie and Vacuo, and although his beliefs were met with skepticism, many Faunus began to follow him and his movement to achieve equality.

The humans and Faunus were more than willing to attempt peaceful negotiations to reach their desired goal for equality, but it never came to fruition. On both sides there were still grudges left behind from the Faunus Rights Revolution, making it near impossible to have any forms of successful meetings or talks. Most of the disagreements surfaced from the Faunus.

Old veterans of the Faunus Rights Revolution felt that Leo's approach to achieving equality was too tame and needed more action, and as a result, it came with those who disagreed to split and form another group that was more proactive with protests that often escalated to violence.

The representatives from the humans came to Menagerie a few hours ago to try another negotiation, but it spiraled out of control within the first hour. The secondary group that split off from the White Fang had grown immensely with its members and they attacked the meeting when it was in progress.

All the progress they had made with the Faunus Rights Revolution was now for nothing and they would be lucky to not have this stimulate a new crisis that could undoubtedly spread across Remnant.

The woman tightened her hold on her daughter and her legs strode out as far as they could. Her eyes could pick up the docks ahead where ships were being loaded to the brim with people trying to evacuate. She bit her lip at the sight and her stomach felt heavy with dread. Just seeing the lines stretching up the platform made her hold her daughter tighter. The chances of them getting on board the last two ships were very slim.

She cursed and hurried down the hill. Her instinct of survival kicked in and as she bolted for the lines, she shoved others out of her way and did not spare them a second look in doing so. All that mattered was to get on board with her daughter, get to Vacuo and go from there.

So long as they got as far away from Menagerie as possible, they would be fine.

Cries of protest swarmed the air. Angry curses flew at the guards ushering people on board the last two ships in an orderly manner. There were four more guards posted near the ramps with their weapons ready to be used on anyone who did not follow their instruction.

Children cried as they were taken from their parents' arms and passed up the ramp. They kicked and screamed wildly and reached out for their parents begging them not to leave them, only for their parents to get swallowed by the crowd again.

The woman stepped forward, her eyes sneaking around the line to count the others until it was their chance to board. There were still twelve others in front of her, some of them with a couple of children that would only take up more room on the boat. She had seen kids being separated from their parents earlier and she subconsciously held her daughter to her tighter.

"Why are they being taken?" Her daughter asked, pointing to the kids getting sent up to the boat.

"So they can be safe," was her answer.

She could not lie to her daughter. After everything she had seen upon arriving to the docks, she knew what was coming. She stepped forward again and knelt to set her daughter down.

Her daughter's amber eyes looked up at her from beneath her raven bangs. Even with all of the panic bursting around her, she was remarkably calm.

"We'll get on the boat, right?" She looked between her and the large ship to their side.

The woman nodded and ran another hand through her hair, just stopping a moment to scratch her behind her ears. Her daughter leaned into her hand and a smile appeared on her face.

"Yes. We'll be fine. You'll see," she said.

"Okay." Her daughter nodded, hugging her teddy bear.

The mother frowned when the line moved. They were the next in line behind another family that had two children. She reached into her bag and pulled out a long, black ribbon and held it tightly in her hand. She stood up and hugged her daughter to her, keeping her ears strained for what the guards were saying.

"I'm sorry, but we are running out of room. Only children will be taken from this point," said one guard.

She bit her lip and took a deep breath through her nose. The hysteric cries from the family before her faded away, and all that remained at that moment was her and her daughter. Her strong, beautiful daughter.

"Honey, look at me," she said.

Her daughter turned to her and she knelt once more. She held up the bow and with careful hands, she gently tied her daughter's hair in the ribbon.

"Mom?" She turned to her again, now looking scared.

"Blake, I need you to be strong for me, okay?" She caressed her face.

Blake blinked and shook her head, her eyes shimmering with tears that had built in them.

"Mom, you're scaring me."

Her vision became distorted as tears welled in her eyes. She gently wiped them free and did the same for her daughter.

"Don't be afraid, Blake. Just know that whatever happens here, I need you to be strong," she said. "Can you do that for me?"

Blake nodded and turned around when the family in front of them was moved aside. She looked up at the soldier and saw his tired eyes look down at her. He had seen families broken apart all night long and it had taken its toll on him.

"Ma'am, I need your name," the soldier said.

The woman stood up and gripped her daughter's shoulders tightly.

"Li Belladonna," she replied.

"And your daughter?"

"Blake."

The soldier nodded and finished scribbling down their names. He nodded to the other soldier on the ramp who took a step forward and picked Blake up and started to carry her up the ramp. Li made no move to follow after him and gave a small nod at the soldier who frowned, giving her a broken apology.

"Mom!" Blake screamed for her.

Li flinched and stood aside for the next family to send their children. Her daughter's screams grew fainter as she was carried up to the ship. She clenched her fists and a sob wracked through her body. Tears trickled down her face and she spared one last look at her daughter.

Blake was holding on to the rails and was looking at her from between them. She was crying freely and reaching out for her.

"Mom!" She called over everyone's voices. "Don't go! Mom!"

Li waved at her and gave her the best smile she could. She was not sure how long it would take for her to find her daughter again, but she hoped the ships would make another run soon enough to reunite them sooner than later.

The ship's horn blew loudly and it began to pull out of the dock and towards the sea. As the ship moved, Blake's cries of desperation got louder when she wormed her way between the people along the deck and followed the rail to stay in sight of her.

"Mom!" She called again, grinding to a halt end.

Li burst through the crowded group and was quickly restrained by two guards. She struggled against their grip to stay and give her final farewell to her daughter.

"Be strong, Blake! Don't do anything brash! Find people you can trust!" She hollered.

She could no longer keep the guards at bay and stopped flailing. Their vice grip dragged her back through the crowd and with each inch they dragged her away, the further away Blake got. By the time she was pulled to the end of the line, the ship was well out of the dock and its lights slowly faded into the night.

* * *

Blake had fallen to her knees and watched as her mother was pulled away by the soldiers. She screamed at them and yelled at them to let her go, but they did not listen. She was gone and now she was all alone.

Her tears came harder and she hugged the teddy bear in her arms with everything she had, as if doing so would take the pain away.

Her teary eyes stared at the dock. The port was now just a speck in the distance and the island would soon follow.

Her head snapped up when a roar of screams came from behind her. She looked around wildly and could see some adults and a bunch of kids pointing back towards Menagerie.

When she turned back to the island, her eyes went wide and her tears stopped flowing. There was a large ball of fire in the docks where they had been just minutes ago, completely engulfing it.

"Was that the other ship?" Someone asked.

"I don't know!" Another shouted.

"All of those people…" A woman covered her mouth.

The comments of shock and disbelief spilled forward in a series of waves, but Blake did not pay them any mind. Her eyes were only drawn to the now burning docks where her mother and hundreds of others were.

* * *

 **So here's the prologue for the story. I got a good chunk of it mapped out, but I'm still working on its direction. Like I said, this will only remain if it gets good feedback and responses, so this can still fall flat on its ass. Let me know what you all thought. Hopefully you liked Blake's little background start in the story there to kick things off. See you.-CaptainPrice**


	2. Chapter 2

**Gotta' say, I was fairly surprised with the amount of favorites and alerts I got for this on the first day. I'm still on the fence about this, but we'll see where it stands after this chapter. I will say now that this will be a mix of canon and original plot. On top of that, before we get into the canon bits, there will be a few preliminary chapters to set up the story because there will be time skips, but the time skips will be told throughout the story in a unique way. Anyway, let's get to it. Thanks for the support. Drop a review if you're feeling generous.**

 _Italic: Thoughts/Letters/Journal Entries/Flashbacks/_

* * *

She was not sure how many times she had done it now. A dozen? Maybe more? No matter how many times she had gone to the docks to see a ship come in, she was met with the same result. Her mother was nowhere to be seen. Each ship brought fewer and fewer refugees from Menagerie. It got to the point that the ships were only doing one run a day. They would leave early in the morning and be back by sunset.

Blake held her teddy bear close as she sat on the bench at the edge of the docks. The seagulls cried as they flew overhead. The smell of salt water wafted into her nose and she could hear the gentle splashes of the waves from the tide as it hit the posts and crashed on the rocks. A ray of light would spin in and out of her vision from the lighthouse that sat on the crest of the hill overlooking the harbor.

Her eyes would occasionally flick around to the other children that would congregate near the harbor in hopes to be reunited with their parents.

A loud horn in the distance caught her attention and she perked up. Squinting ahead she could see a large ship emerge around the gulf and steer towards the port. She held on to the teddy bear tighter than ever as her heart picked up as hope filled her being. She should have known better than to be filled with such a cruel hope by now, but she could not help it. The small chance that her mother would finally be aboard the vessel suckered her into it again and again.

She would tell herself it would be different. This would be the day her mother got off that boat and she would be there waiting for her. Then they would go find somewhere else to settle down and start anew. A clean slate where she could figure out what she wanted to do with her life.

When the ship pulled up to the dock and dropped anchor, she stood up on the bench. She was too small work her way through the crowd of older kids and did not want to get knocked around trying to find her mother.

The ramp locked on to the deck and allowed the passengers on board to file off and make their way to the registry. She could see that latest group of refugees was smaller than yesterday and her hopes were quickly blown away. Even more so when she could only see four women in the group. They looked around her mother's age, but none of them had raven hair.

A tight not formed in her throat and she could feel tears building in her eyes. She wiped them away in an attempt to stay strong for her sake, but it was almost impossible. She sat down on the bench and looked on at the reunions between some of the parents and their kids. Tears of joy racing down their faces as they held one another.

 _"It's not fair!"_ She brought her knees to her chest as if to shut out the world around her.

Her shoulders shook as a light sob escaped her and the tears fell freely. She made no effort to wipe them away and cried silently.

The head of her teddy bear grew damp as the tears nestled into it. She buried her face into the stuffed animal and another sob escaped her.

"Your mom still hasn't come?" A voice came from her left.

She lifted her head and wiped the tears from her face. She did not want to look vulnerable to the one who talked to her. When she turned her amber eyes in the direction of the voice, she saw a boy with dark red hair. Two horns protruded from his forehead and curved back just over his hair. He looked a couple of years older than her. Nine, maybe ten?

Blake only shook her head, not trusting her voice.

"My parents haven't come yet, either." His eyes looked at the diminishing crowd.

"Who are you?" Blake asked.

The boy turned his eyes back to her and offered her a small smile. He held out his hand and she took it. His grip was strong.

"Adam. What's your name?" He answered.

"Blake," she said wiping her eyes free from tears.

Adam sent another look at the thinning crowd and rolled his shoulders.

"What are you going to do now?" He asked her.

Blake blinked and lowered her head again. Not in sorrow, but in thought. She was unsure of what she should do next. Her instinct told her to continue waiting for her mother to show up and continue on with the plan, but deep down she had a gut feeling that it was a lost cause. It was always her mother that made a plan and she just followed her without question. Now that she was on her own, she had to think for herself and it scared her.

What was she supposed to do? Where was she supposed to go? She had arrived to Vacuo like they originally planned, but she was not sure where to go. She did not even know where to start.

"I… don't know. My mother and I were supposed to start over here, but I'm not sure what to do." She shook her head.

Adam frowned a little bit at hearing that.

"So, you're just going to sit here?" He asked. "You should start taking care of yourself."

Her eyes narrowed just a bit and she met his in a challenging stare.

"Yeah? What are you going to do?" She retorted.

"I'm heading for Vale. At least I have a better chance of surviving there than a place like this," he said as he gestured to the rundown harbor.

Blake rolled her eyes. The confidence in his voice when he gave his answer was almost too good. He was in the same position as her. He was separated from his parents back on Menagerie, and they may even be dead after that explosion at the docks. There was no way he was not scared.

"And where will you go when you get to Vale? It's not like you know anyone there that can help you," she said.

"The city of Vale is supposed to be very open to Faunus like us. So that's where I'm going. I'll figure everything out as I get to it," Adam said with ease.

This boy was unbelievable. How could he say all of that without so much as breaking a sweat? It was crazy, but she could almost believe everything he said. If he was scared, he was doing a great job of hiding it.

"Well, good for you. At least you have a plan," she said.

"And you don't. So, what does that say about you?" He crossed his arms.

A scowl spread across her face. So what if she didn't have a plan? It was not the biggest thing on her mind at the moment. Her biggest concern was finding her mother.

"I think you should come up with something fast, because you'll be waiting for your mom for a long time," said Adam.

"I'm not leaving without her!" Blake glared back.

"You better know how to fight. Dad says this place is only where the strongest survive. If you can fight, you got a chance. If you can't… well, let's just say it won't end well."

"Do you believe everything your dad says?"

"I do. If you're done, let me suggest something to you. You're on your own, and I'm the only friend you got. You have a better chance of being safe if you stick with me."

Blake took a step back at his bold words. The boy before her was truly something. They had only just met and he was already calling her a friend. He didn't even know her that well yet. Yet here he was offering her a chance to be safe, and as tempting as it was, she was hesitant.

Part of it had to do with her mother, and the other having to give her trust to some boy she hardly knew. Her fingers dug into the stuffed bear she was holding and her brow furrowed in thought.

"Why should I trust you?" She looked up at him. "You don't know me and I don't know you."

Adam's eyes seemed to harden just a bit at her retort, however his look was not one of anger or annoyance. It was one of confidence. A small smile spread across his lips.

"Us Faunus have to stick together, right?" He gave a light shrug.

Stick together? Was that all he really had to say about that? She was about to challenge his beliefs again, but a small voice echoed from the back of her mind. It was the words of her mother. The woman she trusted more than anyone in the world.

 _"Find people you can trust!"_

She flinched a bit at her mother's final words as they circled her brain and vanished as soon as they had come.

"If you don't want to come, that's fine. I'm only trying to help," said Adam.

He gave her another smile and nodded before he turned on his heel and began a slow walk up the street. Her window was closing fast and it made her mind race. This would be the biggest decision of her life to that point. Follow Adam for a chance at a better future, or stay and wait for her mother?

She bit her lip and another tear trickled down her face.

 _"I'm sorry."_

Blake started running after Adam and did not dare look back at the docks. She ran, and ran until she caught the red haired boy, almost devoid of breath from her quick sprint.

"You want to come with me?" He asked.

"Yes." She panted back.

"Okay. Well, we got a long walk ahead."

"We're walking?"

Adam laughed just a bit and shook his head.

"We're not walking to Vale. We're hitching a ride," he said with a grin.

* * *

Adam was not joking about the long walk, much to Blake's disappointment. He had led her from the small harbor and out of the town into the desert. The scorching sun and blistering heat was now replaced with the cool night air and bright, shattered moon. It was wild how quick the weather changed in the desert wastes and it made Blake shiver when the breeze graced her exposed skin again.

Their trek had led them to the top of a large sand dune. Adam had stopped at the top with his eyes staring out ahead. Far in front of them was a large airstrip. Dozens of Bullheads were stationed off to the left of the runway and being worked on by the mechanics to be kept in working condition. On the other side of the runway were five large cargo ships. One of which was being guided out to the runway to be loaded up.

"See that large ship pulling out there?" He pointed at it.

"Yes," she said.

"We're getting on that. The ship will be full of people, so we'll have to sneak on."

Blake turned to look at Adam and watched as his eyes moved around each section of the airstrip. The wheels in his head were turning and she was curious to how he would get them on board the ship without being spotted.

"How are we going to do that?" Blake asked. "In case you haven't noticed, there's no way in except that entrance over there and it's guarded."

A small grimace formed on the boy's face. It was the first blemish on his otherwise confident demeanor since she met him. He had no idea how to get inside the airstrip without being spotted. Sure, it was impressive that he found the airstrip and that he knew the transports went to Vale, but it was useless unless they were able to get inside in the first place.

His head perked up just a bit and his lips curved into a smirk. This caused her to raise a brow at the possible plan he came up with. She followed his gaze to the far west side where the gate was and could see a large trail of dust kicking up down the road. It was a small convoy.

"Let's move!" He took off.

"Adam, wait!" She hurried after him.

The sand was everywhere and it was starting to irritate her. It blew with the wind and clung to her skin and hardened like a shell. It flooded her shoes and buried itself into the nooks and crevices of her clothes.

She and Adam came to a stop behind a large rock and held fast as the convoy drew closer. She peeked around the rock, staying low to avoid being spotted by the drivers. There were five vehicles in the convoy with each of them being spaced out a car's length between each other. Four covered trucks and one armored car. The car sat in the center of the formation, ready to deploy the guards inside in case it came under attack.

Adam nudged her and nodded at the last truck in the convoy. If they got inside the back, they had a higher chance of getting into the airstrip. From there they could make their way into the cargo ship.

The convoy was moving slowly and it almost felt like an eternity as the last truck went by the rock. Adam gave her a firm pat on the shoulder and burst out from behind the rock using the dust as cover from the wing mirrors. He got behind the truck and hopped on and turned back to her.

"Come on!" He waved.

Blake stumbled and coughed as the dust hit her in the face. Her eyes began to tear up from the itching sensation that flooded them.

Her fingertips swiped at the air as she got within range of the back hatch. They graced Adam's fingers and she growled when she swiped at them and missed again. Her arm stretched out as far as she could get it and a loud clap met her ears when Adam grabbed a hold of it. She was surprised when her feet left the ground as he used unknown strength to hoist her up.

"I got you." He smiled.

She offered a small smile in return and followed him towards the back of the truck.

There was a large stack of sealed crates carrying various goods.

"Here, we'll get inside this one," said Adam as he rested his hands on the nearest one.

A breath left him as he tried to push the lid open to no avail. He growled and his red eyes scanned the darkness of the truck. He bent down and stood up a second later with a crowbar in hand. Wood splintered when he stabbed the tongue under the lid and gave a hard pry. The lid cracked open and a triumphant smirk spread across his face.

"There we go!" He dropped his hands to give her a boost.

She stepped on to his hand and he lifted her up. Her eyes peered down into the crate and she could see a large Dust crystal. It would be a tight fit, but there was just enough room for both her and Adam to hide inside.

Blake eased herself in and stood to the side to make room for her new friend.

The crate thumped lightly when he landed inside. He pulled the lid over the crate and nestled it the best he could to keep attention from being drawn to it. Once it was set, he let out a sigh and tucked his knees into his chest as he sat down beside her.

"Now we wait," he said.

"What if we're caught?" She whispered.

"We won't be caught. I got us this far, didn't I?"

Blake rolled her eyes and gave a curt nod. Be it luck or skill, Adam had gotten them on the truck and their journey to Vale was in sight so long as the crate did not get opened.

The truck came to a halt, but it was short-lived as it moved again. They had reached the gate were being guided in by the personnel.

She closed her eyes and remained silent. The sound of the loud engine met her ears, but she tuned it out enough to think about the airstrip's layout. They just went through the gate on the west side. They should have been passing the line of Bullheads at the moment. Then came the runway where the cargo ship would be.

Her brow furrowed a bit when the convoy continued its trek well across the runway before it stopped. They were near the other four cargo ships. This was a little unsettling.

"Adam," she whispered to him.

"I know," he whispered back.

"What are we going to do? There wasn't much cover to hide behind and we'll easily be spotted if we go for the ship."

He agreed with her with a small hum. This was not good.

Adam put a finger to his lips when a pair of voices came from the hatch of the truck. A small clunk came as it dropped and a pair of boots landed on the steel.

"Okay, boss says these crates are getting set for shipment tomorrow. We'll set them behind the second ship," said one.

"Got it. I'll go get the forklift," said the other.

Blake's eyes screwed shut and she held her bear close. The heavy footsteps stopped just beside the crate and she could almost picture the man's eyes on top of it. Her heart hammered in her chest and she silently prayed that he did not notice the loose lid. Beside her she could feel Adam tense up as if ready to move if that was the case.

She jumped when the crate shifted and was slid towards the hatch. They came to a stop a second later.

"Damn, these things get heavier every day!" The man sighed.

A smaller engine met her ears and she could feel something slide under the crate and hoist it into the air.

"Hey, you'll need to fasten the lid on that one again! It came loose!" Shouted the first man.

"Got it!" The other hollered back.

Adam lightly nudged her elbow again.

"We'll have to get out, so get ready to move," he said.

"Okay. I'll follow you." She nodded.

The crate was lowered to the ground and Adam stood up. He lifted the top of the crate and his eyes scanned the area. He motioned for her to stand up, but kept her from peeking through.

"Now's our chance!" He slid the top open.

He climbed out and she was close behind. They crouched beside the crate and looked ahead at the ship on the runway. There was no cover to hide behind between them and the ship, but they could make out a few crates that needed to be loaded directly behind it.

"We'll have to make a break for it. You ready?" He glanced back at her.

"Ready when you are," she said.

He held up three fingers for a countdown. When he let his last finger drop, the two of them took off like a pair of startled birds. The pavement thumped loudly beneath their feat as they dashed for the runway, but it was almost nonexistent with the loud humming from the aircraft surrounding them.

The ship got closer and closer and soon became a giant monster before them. The loud hum of the engines swallowed all the noise around it.

Adam took a chance to look back to see if anyone saw them, but no one was in sight.

They peeked around the crates and could see the light in the bay of the ship. It was dimly lit and offered them a chance to sneak in using the shadows. They waited to see if anyone came out of the ship per Adam's suggestion. It was a good thing they did. Two crewmen came down the ramp and made their way to the crates to load them.

"We'll have to follow them in. Stay right behind me." He looked at her.

She nodded again. He got them this far, so there was no need to fix anything that wasn't broken.

The crewmen loaded two of the crates on the cart and wheeled it to the ramp. Adam waited until they both went to push it up the ramp and stepped out from the cover. He was almost catlike with his steps. Swift, yet quiet. They stopped just below the ramp and he led them up slowly.

Blake peeked over the top and could see the crewmen vanish around a stack of secured crates to drop off the other two. She felt Adam pull her to the side of the bay into the shadows. They crawled behind the thin path between the crates and the wall, slivers of light hitting them as they moved down the cargo hold.

"Alright, get the last two. I'll go let them know we can take off in five minutes," said the first crewman.

"Sounds good. By the way, don't let that little brat down here. He keeps steeling my snacks," said the second crewman.

The first laughed after hearing that.

"Don't let the captain hear you say that. He'll tear you a new one."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. Just humor me, please?"

Two pairs of feet moved down the bay. The first went towards the small stairs leading into the cabin and the other went outside to collect the rest of the load.

"We made it." Adam grinned at her, leaning against the stack of crates.

"Yeah… we did," she said with a light laugh.

Her lips curled up into a smile and she turned her eyes back to Adam. It was almost hard to believe they had met just a few hours ago. The way they were able to infiltrate the airstrip, communicate and not get caught alone was impressive. It was an anomaly, and a good one at that.

"Who are you?" Another voice broke them from their thoughts.

Their heads whipped around to the side and they spotted a young boy at the end of the space. He had messy blonde hair and his eyes were an electric blue. His head was tilted in curiosity as he looked between the two of them.

Blake instinctively put a finger to her lips to silence him. His eyes widened and he quickly looked back towards the end of the bay when he heard a loud clunk. The crewman had returned with the last of the crates. Would the boy rat them out and get them thrown off the ship? She hoped not. They had come too far to not make it to Vale now.

Her eyes met his and she saw him give a wink in their direction. What was he going to do?

"You looking for my snacks again, you little brat?" The crewman asked.

The blonde boy sheepishly scratched the back of his head and let out a nervous laugh.

"No! What makes you think that?"

"You stick out like a sore thumb, kid. You're not good at hiding your emotions," the crewman answered back.

The man's footsteps drew closer to the blonde boy who shifted to the side so that the crewman's back was to them. Taking the chance, Adam grabbed Blake's wrist and pulled her towards the aisle. It was clear.

He then pulled her to the other side and up along the bay until they were under the stairs, safely out of sight.

The door above the stairs and the first crewman's voice filled the bay.

"Hey, close the door! We're ready to go!" He called down.

"Hang on! The captain's kid is here!" The other shouted back.

"Seriously?"

The blonde boy's nervous laugh garnered sighs from both crewman.

"Come on, Jaune. You're not supposed to be down here," said the first.

The boy, now known as Jaune let out a groan and his footsteps reverberated in the bay as they carried him up the stairs. Blake and Adam looked up between the grates of the staircase and saw the boy looked down at them. He gave them a subtle nod and hurried up to the landing. The door closed soon after he reached the top.

The second crewman let out another sigh and he went back down to the ramp. An alarm sounded and an orange light flashed in the bay as the ramp closed.

"Guess I can spare the kid a bag of chips," he said.

The crewman rummaged around a small crate on the desk beside the stairs and pulled out a large blue bag of chips. He closed the crate and hurried up the stairs and the door slammed shut, leaving them alone.

Adam looked at her and gave her another pat on the shoulder.

"Next stop, Vale."

* * *

 **There we go. So Blake meets Jaune and Adam. Now, I will say this, Jaune is actually the protagonist and Blake is the deuteragonist. Their early meeting will set them up on their respective paths for the story and their own goals. I'm looking forward to the task of developing Blake and writing her since she's kind of a challenge. Adam may seem OOC since we've only seen him agro as hell so far, but I'm exploring a path that may have made him become the guy he is. I doubt he was a kid just born with a lot of hate.**

 **To continue, I'm actually in search of a good beta for the story to give me guidance and suggestions. If any of you readers know a good one, or would like to help, send me a PM and we'll talk there. I'd rather have one that is well versed with story telling and character development. I'll choose my beta and announce it in the author's note of the next chapter.**

 **With that said, I'm gonna play me some Titanfall 2 and watch some college football. On Wisconsin!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Back with a new chapter for the story here. Possibly the make or break one, so let me know what you all think. Thanks again for all the support so far.**

 _Italic: Thoughts/Letters/Journal Entries/Flashbacks/_

* * *

Blake shifted in discomfort and her eyes cracked open. The lights in the cargo bay had long since shut off to fill it with darkness. All that came for illumination was a lone red light near the end of the bay where the ramp was sealed. She and Adam had been cooped up under the stairs since they took off, not having the chance to get up and stretch.

She rolled her shoulders and peeked to her side to steal a glance at Adam. Her new friend was fast asleep, his chin tucked into his chest as his head slumped forward. Light snores met her through the muffled sounds of howling wind outside the ship.

"Adam, are you awake?" She whispered.

He didn't answer her as he continued to snooze. Her stomach gave a low growl and she squirmed again. She hadn't eaten anything in a while and frowned to herself. Her only option to quell her aching hunger was to sneak upstairs and try to find something above deck.

This was a risky decision. Not only would she leave Adam behind to wake up alone, which would more than likely cause him to panic, but she also ran the chance of bumping into any guards patrolling the vessel. She stayed rooted to her spot, but another more powerful growl came from her stomach, almost painful.

She curled into a ball and held her teddy bear closer to her. Strangely enough, it did a decent job nulling the pain she was feeling. Now was as good a time as any to take a chance. It was late and most people would be asleep, giving her a better opportunity to steal some food for her and Adam.

Blake set her teddy bear beside Adam and crept out from under the stairs. Her eyes did a slow and careful sweep of the bay to make sure she was alone. No guards were in sight. She then peered up the staircase to the landing where the door to the cabin led. Nothing. Blake stood up and ascended the stairs, her feet silent with each one she climbed.

She reached the door and had to give a hard pull to turn the knob. With a slow push the door opened with a low creak and her face scrunched up in anticipation. She waited for a moment and held her breath as she waited for anyone on the other side to come and inspect the noise. After a couple of seconds she pushed the door open enough to inch her way into the cabin.

So far luck had been on her side. No guards were in sight. The cabin was large and spacious. She could make out the fuselage veering off in different directions, possibly to quarters for the crew, the kitchen, the cockpit and the cabin for passengers. She bit her lip and went for the first hall to the left.

Blake quickly retreated behind the wall when she heard voices and saw movement in the neighboring room. The voices of the men were loud and filled with laughter.

"I win again, boys!" One said triumphantly slamming his hand down on the table.

Groans of protest and curses left the mouths of the other men at the table.

"You're full of it, Woody!" One retorted.

"Quit your cryin', Lloyd!" Woody shot back.

"I will when you stop."

"What're you tryin' to say, small fry?"

There was a brief silence before it was broken by a scoff, most likely from Lloyd.

"I'm just saying that if you're going to cheat, make sure you don't use two queen of spades," said Lloyd as he threw his cards on the table.

This time the voices came back in force filled with irritation and disbelief.

"Aw, you son of a bitch, Woody!" Yelled another.

Footsteps came from the room and Blake quickly hugged the wall. One of the men came into the fuselage and stopped. He rubbed his eyes with a sigh and turned to go up the hull.

"Hey, Lloyd, where are you going?" One of the men called out for him.

"To get a beer. Any of you guys want anything?" Lloyd answered back.

"Just bring down the whole case. Don't wanna' keep walking upstairs to get one!"

"You need the exercise, Donovan. I can't tell where your fat rolls start and where they end," Wood interjected. "When was the last time you even saw your balls?"

"Screw you, Woody!" Donovan barked back.

Lloyd let out another sigh and began his trek to get the beer. Going on a hunch, Blake followed close behind being sure to stay close to any objects she could hide behind in case Lloyd turned around or someone spotted her.

She followed Lloyd to the end of the hull where he came to another door. He opened it and revealed another staircase leading to the upper deck. She waited for him to get halfway up the stairs before moving to the door. Her ears picked up his heavy footsteps as he reached the landing and opened another door. She hurried up the stairs taking two at a time to catch up and exited the door at the top.

Her eyes picked up on Lloyd rounding a corner to the right. A light flipped on and she heard another door open. She hurried to the side wall and crouched low against it. Lloyd returned a minute later with a large case in his arms and he marched back to the stairs. Once the door shut behind him she made her way into the kitchen.

The kitchen was very large, but it was big enough to serve a small crew and some passengers. She could smell the faint traces of fresh fish and almost felt her mouth water. Following the scent she made her way to the first fridge she found and opened it wide. The light was almost divine as it shone over the now cold fish fillets, steaks, and roast.

There had to be plates around for her to carry it back. Her eyes flicked to the cupboards and she climbed on top of the counter to open them. She found two fresh plates and grabbed them to load them with as much food as they could carry. Just as her feet touched the cold tile of the floor, the lights to the kitchen flipped on and her heart froze in fear.

"I wonder if Donovan still keeps his stash in here?" Came a boy's voice.

Blake's ears flicked. She recognized it earlier. It was the same boy that found her and Adam hiding in the cargo bay. Jaune, right?

She watched his mop of blonde hair from over the counter as it came toward the fridge. With nowhere to go, she waited silently for him to find her.

Jaune inched his way between the door and counter and ducked to a smaller cupboard beside it. He opened it wide and his face lit up with excitement having found what he was looking for. He reached in and pulled out two big bags of chips and a box of crackers. Right when he was about to close the door, he froze and turned towards her.

Blake said nothing and looked back at him. His blue eyes were wide with surprise, but soon shrunk back to their normal state.

"Hey, you're that girl from the cargo bay," he said.

Blake remained silent and began to try and find an escape route. Although the boy didn't rat her or Adam out when he first found them, there was no telling what he would do now. He wasn't the one stowing away on a ship, after all.

"Where's that other guy with the red hair?" Jaune asked her.

She was about to open her mouth, but stopped when she caught sight of a red blur from the kitchen's entrance. Adam was soon behind Jaune and wrapped him up in a tight grip garnering a startled gasp from him.

"You looking for me?" Adam asked in a low tone.

Jaune sputtered for air as he craned his neck to look at Adam over his shoulder. He only offered a nod back, not trusting his words.

"Well, you found me. Now get lost, and don't even think about telling anyone we're here," said Adam as he shoved him to the ground.

Jaune sat against the cupboards and looked back at Adam with resentment. He managed to recuperate from the surprise jump and clenched his fist.

"I was just asking her a question, you jerk!" He snapped back. "Besides, if I wanted to tell anyone you were here, I would have done it when I found you both in the cargo hold!"

Adam's lips twisted into a small sneer as he glared back at the blonde who gave him an equal look right back.

"So why didn't you?" Adam took a step forward.

Blake hurried between the two of them to diffuse their argument. With each passing second it was growing louder and it would attract the attention of anyone who could hear it.

"Adam, stop, he's not going to tell anyone we're here. He just found me and asked me what I was doing," she said.

Adam looked at her flatly.

"Did you tell him anything?" He asked.

She shook her head and glared at him.

"No! And even if I did, why does it matter?" She retorted.

"Because his dad's in charge of the ship! If he goes and blabs to him that we're here, we won't get to Vale!" Adam sent a sideways glance to Jaune.

Blake flinched, but stood her ground. She had not known Adam much longer than Jaune, but she felt as though she read them well. Adam was strong, confident, and risky, something that she had quickly come to admire after meeting him. Jaune, although this was only her second meeting with the boy, seemed kind and curious. She could understand the consequences that came if Jaune did reveal that they snuck on board, but she felt as though she could trust the blonde as well.

 _"Find people you can trust!"_

She shook her head and set the plates on the counter. She then turned around and held out a hand for Jaune. He looked at it for a second and then back to her and then to Adam. He was hesitant, but he soon took it and she pulled him up and offered him a small smile.

"I'm Blake," she said before looking over her shoulder to Adam who only rolled his eyes. "That's Adam."

Jaune smiled back.

"I'm Jaune Arc. Do you need help carrying any of this?"

Blake perked up and nodded.

"That would be great."

"Why do you want to help us? You don't even know us," Adam said with narrowed eyes.

Jaune scratched the back of his head and offered a sheepish grin.

"Well, you look like you can use it, and besides. My mom says that strangers are just friends you haven't met yet," he said.

Adam scoffed and snatched one of the plates off of the counter and Blake took the other. While they raided the fridge and filled their plates with all the food they could carry, Jaune kept a lookout with his own haul of food. Once they were ready they shut the fridge and began their trek down to the cargo bay.

* * *

Jaune let out a loud belch after swallowing another mouthful of chips. It echoed around the empty bay. This got a laugh from Adam and a look of disgust from Blake.

"Nice one," Adam said taking a bite from the piece of bread in his hand.

"Believe it or not, I can do better than that," said Jaune as he leaned against the crate.

"Please don't. We need to be quiet," said Blake.

Adam offered a small roll of his eyes before he looked back at her.

"This is seriously coming from the one who snuck out for food without telling me?" He smirked. "I don't think you're in much of a position to talk. You know how worried I got when you were gone?"

Blake shifted against the crate guiltily and muttered back a small apology to her fellow Faunus. She took another bite of bread and munched on it silently.

"So, um…" Jaune spoke up getting their attention. "Where did you guys come from? Why are you hiding down here? Is there no room left on the main deck?"

He saw Adam and Blake exchange glances as if determining on telling him the reason behind their stowaway. Adam was the first to break the silent conversation.

"We snuck on here. We had to hide or else we'd have been kicked off," said Adam.

Jaune only nodded back, having suspected that from the get-go when he found them earlier when searching for one of Donovan's stashes. Adam's words only solidified his belief, especially after the way he jumped him in the kitchen after he found Blake. The memory of that made a shiver go down his spine. The boy may have been young, but he was scary when he wanted to be.

"So, where are you guys from? Why do you want to go to Vale?" He asked.

This time it was Blake who spoke for them.

"Menagerie. Something bad happened there and it forced us to leave to Vacuo." She tucked her knees in and rested her arms on them.

Jaune blinked and furrowed his brow in thought. That name sounded familiar and although it wasn't clicking with his head at the moment, he knew it was something important. It was the reason his father and his unit were sent to Vacuo in the first place. They were supposed to provide humanitarian aid for displaced citizens. The reason why was not clear, but his father said it was important.

All he could piece together was that something bad happened in Menagerie, just like Blake said, but in regards to what it was slipped his mind. It had been a hot topic among the men on the ship and the news networks. He may have not really understood the reason, but with everything he had seen and heard in side conversations, it was serious.

"We're going to Vale for a better chance to start over," said Blake. "Vacuo's not the best place for kids like us."

"Well, I guess I can understand that, but where are you going to go when you get to Vale?" Jaune frowned. "I mean, do you have any family or a place you can stay? Sounds like you won't be much better off."

He could see a grimace on Adam's face, no doubt disgruntled at being called out. He did not mean to pry, but his new friends did not sound like they had a good plan. They had enough common sense and wits to sneak out of Vacuo on his father's ship, but they did not seem to have much of an idea following it.

"We'll cross that bridge when we get to it. Right now our only concern is not being found while we're here. So do us a favor and keep your mouth shut," said Adam firmly.

Jaune glared at Adam and crossed his arms.

"I already told you if I wanted to rat you out I would have done it, but if you guys need help, I can help you!" Jaune retorted.

"Oh yeah? How do you plan to do that?" Adam challenged.

"I can talk to my dad, just hear me out."

He quickly added the last bit to keep Adam from protesting again. He had no doubt in his mind that his father would be willing to help Adam or Blake if he told him about them. There was no way he would kick them off the ship when they were this far into the flight and waste resources doing so. If anything, he could more than likely make some kind of arrangements to make sure they could be provided for when they arrived in Vale. He had the rank to do so and a lot of connections.

"Look, the way I see it, you guys need some help. If I were in your position I'd take the chance to try and get help instead of winging it. You both got this far I will give you that, but your luck's going to run out at some point," he said.

Adam said nothing and only glared back at him. Blake on the other hand bit her lip as her eyes flicked back and forth between him and Adam. She was considering his offer.

"Do you really think your dad could help us?" She asked.

Jaune nodded back, hoping he could at least get Blake to side with him. If she did, Adam would do so as well, albeit begrudgingly.

"My dad's really good at negotiating. I bet he can work his magic to help you two out," he said with a confident smirk.

Blake looked at Adam pleadingly, garnering a roll of his eyes. She continued to stare at the redhead as he sat silently contemplating their next decision. His shoulders rose and fell with a long sigh as he gave a curt nod at Blake.

"Fine, but can we at least wait until morning? I don't want to wake up the whole ship by waking your dad up now," said Adam.

Jaune was about to nod back, but his mouth immediately snapped shut when a new voice joined their conversation. He recognized it immediately and swallowed the lump that appeared in his throat.

"That won't be necessary. Come on out."

The color immediately vanished from Adam and Blake's faces. Their eyes were wide in horror at being found out. They slowly stood up and their walk out of the shadows resembled inmates heading to their execution.

Jaune remained quiet as he led them to the base of the stairs and turned to look up at the man that called them out. The man was tall and had some lean muscle visible through his clothes that was a dressed down Atlas Military service uniform. His eyes were dark green and his blonde hair was neatly cut to fit in regulation.

"Hey, Dad." Jaune sheepishly rubbed the back of his head. "How long have you been there?"

"Long enough. I came looking here after I did bed checks. Seems like you forgot that little bit," the man answered back.

"Ah, right…"

Adam sent him a sideways glance with a raised brow.

"How can you forget about bed checks?" He asked him.

"I got distracted!" He shot back in embarrassment as his cheeks burned.

"Nice."

"Oh, shut up!"

Their conversation was cut short again.

"That's enough!" The man's voice came out like the crack of a whip.

Jaune and Adam immediately shut their mouths and stood rigidly. The man came down from his place on the stairs and his heavy footsteps kept them rooted to the spot. He eventually came to a stop before them and his sharp eyes met each of them in a slow sweep.

"What are your names?" The man asked Adam and Blake.

The two of them swallowed, but were quick with answering him.

"Adam Taurus," said Adam as he tried to stay confident.

"Blake Belladonna," said Blake as she tucked her teddy bear under her arm.

The man nodded and folded his arms. He cupped his chin and his eyes shifted back over to Jaune who met them with his own.

"So, when were you planning on telling me about your two friends here?" He asked.

"Morning wake up call, Dad," said Jaune.

"Well, I guess it's a good thing I caught you now. You know how much the team would flip if we had two additional passengers from the report we sent up the chain earlier?"

Jaune flinched at his father's words and shuffled his feet. He had grown accustomed to some of military things his dad did having been around him long enough and being with him on some journeys like this one, but some of the simple things had come back to blow up in his face. The crew would have been in an uproar and suspicion would be directed at Adam and Blake if they were present during the morning wake up.

His father sighed and rested his hands on his hips and turned his gaze back to Adam and Blake. He offered them a gentle smile and got down to eye level with them.

"Well, there's no need to blow this out of proportion. You two don't have to worry about anything, okay? Just leave it to me," he said.

"Really?" Blake perked up a little bit.

"It's no trouble. I can easily pass off the headcount I sent up earlier to my superiors as a miscount by the crew."

Relief flashed through Adam and Blake's faces and they relaxed from their stiff state.

"I'm Forest Arc. You've already met the boy here." He jutted his thumb in Jaune's direction.

Jaune silently cursed his father and felt his face burn again at the nickname that had been given to him since he was six. He could feel Adam's and Blake's eyes on him and out of his peripherals he could see the small smirk on Adam's face. No doubt something the redhead would tease him about later.

"Why don't we go to bed? You can stay in our quarters. Nice warms beds, not some crappy cargo bay," Forest offered as he stood up.

The two of them nodded eagerly and Forest smiled again. Jaune was about to lead them out, but found himself swung into the air and over his father's shoulder like a sack of potatoes. He glared at the back of his father's head and clenched his fists.

"Dad!" He pounded his fists against his back.

"Embarrassment is your punishment for not telling me sooner, boy. I could have easily put you on bathroom detail with Woody," said Forest.

"Aw, come on!"

Blake giggled at him as he was carried up the stairs and Adam only smirked wider at his father's act of punishment. He only hung his head so he wouldn't have to make eye contact with them, the embarrassment finally too much to stomach.

He stayed quiet as his father led them out of the cargo hold and through the dark, quiet ship to the upper deck. The higher they climbed, the more people they found sleeping in whatever cots fit in the tight space that they had. Most of the passengers had been Faunus, more than likely displaced after fleeing from the events in Menagerie.

They reached the last deck of the ship where the crew's barracks were and Forest led them to the far end where there was a lone room aside from the door that led to the bridge. The door creaked open and Adam and Blake followed them into the room where the door shut behind them. The light flipped on a second later to reveal two beds, one obviously Forest's and the other was Jaune's.

Forest walked over and swung Jaune off his shoulder and playfully body slammed him on the bed. He bounced high and pouted at the grin on his father's face.

"Punishment's over, boy. Go to bed," said Forest as he walked over to his own to take off his boots.

Jaune sat up and kicked off his shoes before pulling back the covers. As he was getting settled, he saw Adam and Blake still standing by door as if confused on where they could sleep. He looked at his father and watched him get off the bed after setting his boots beside it.

"Hop in Jaune's bed, you two. Sure as hell beats the floor," said Forest as he walked over to the light.

Adam and Blake exchanged looks and walked over to the bed. They climbed in with Blake taking the middle and Adam taking the other end. The bed was still spacious enough to allow all three of them enough room to sleep.

Once they were all settled, Forest turned off the light and lounged back in his bed.

* * *

Blake held her teddy bear close as she looked up at the ceiling. A familiar warmth had returned to her for the first time in days. She may have lost her mother who was still out there, but she had gained two friends in the process, and both of them were beside her. Jaune to her right, and Adam to her left. She was no longer cold, hungry or alone. She was thankful for following Adam that day out of the harbor and shuddered at the decision she almost made to stay behind and wait for her mother.

She shifted into the comfy mattress and her lips curved up in a small smile as the head of her teddy bear rested against her lips. This was her life for now, and it looked promising for a fresh start.

"Mister Arc?" She spoke up.

"Hmm?" He answered from his bed.

"Tomorrow can you tell me what's going on in Menagerie?"

Her question briefly tore her away from her happiness. Despite wanting to return to the pleasant thoughts she had a moment ago, she needed to know what was going on. She had to know if there was a chance her mother was still alive.

There was a long pause before Forest answered her.

"Sure. I'll tell you everything I'm authorized to talk about, but I want you to understand that the whole situation is fragile. You may hear something you don't want to."

"I know," said Blake.

"Okay. We'll talk after breakfast."

"Thank you."

"And Blake, you can call me Forest."

She smiled at the man's kind words and nestled into her pillow. Her eyelids grew heavy with exhaustion and her now full stomach. Her ears could pick up on the gentle snores from both Jaune and Adam as they slept soundly. Soon Forest's louder snores filled the room as he joined them almost instantly.

A yawn escaped her and the clutches of sleep took hold. The snores faded and quietness took her as she was carried to her dreams.

* * *

 **Like I said, kind of the make or break chapter here. It doesn't seem like a lot of people are interested in it. I will answer a question of the reviewers left me by saying that this story will follow a couple of canon events, but other than that this is all original plot. Like I showed earlier with some of the plot points I will be addressing. Canon's cool, but the idea is to deviate from that with different plots. So, you'll see some things and others will be left out. You'll just have to wait and see which.**


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